What's France got to do with it?

Vive L'Alliance!

Vive la France indeed

One of the sweetest moments of modern football history. All those Dubliners I saw supporting Argentina against England know exactly how it feels now 8)

don simon I & others think you are over-reacting massively..There are far more important things in the World to get yourself worked up about!

I think coffeking summed it up for me –

I can just imagine in Wales at this very moment, no-one will be giving a crap.

Oh FFS – If any of the other national teams were in the tournament then he'd have their flag up also.

Cameron – English

Downing St – in England.

What's the issue, not like he's asking Holyrood, the Welsh Assembly or Stormont to do the same is it?

Does make him seem a bit chav though, doesn't it?

We Scots are always deeply suspicious of this sort of thing, it tends to confirm our suspicion that our government regards itself as a government of Greater England than of a United Kingdom.

But I think a sense of perspective is needed here. England is the only kingdom in the WC.

Maybe Scots should be supporting France – they are our oldest ally after all.

I'm fed up of hearing about 1966, so I hope the English team wins this year. 🙂

epicyclo – Member

We Scots are always deeply suspicious of this sort of thing, it tends to confirm our suspicion that our government regards itself as a government of Greater England than of a United Kingdom.

do you reckon Gordon Broon and Al Darliing took the same view when they were holed up in numbers 10 and 11???

I'm fed up of hearing about 1966

So much so that you're the first person to mention it on the thread.

I honestly think that 1966 has become as relevant a part of Scottish identity as it is of English identity.

As anyone familiar with me would know, I'm a pretty fervent Scottish Nationalist. However, I really can't see what the problem is with flying the George Cross in London.

I would also like to add that:

(a) some pretty prominent Scots are supporting England this summer (e.g. Alex Salmond).

(b) anyone who can't understand why some Scots might support any team except England are somehow overlooking the fact that very few Liverpool fans support Man Utd in Europe once their own team has been eliminated (or vise versa for that matter) .

anyone who can't understand why some Scots might support any team except England are somehow overlooking the fact that very few Liverpool fans support Man Utd in Europe once their own team has been eliminated (or vise versa for that matter)

Except that doesn't hold up as until very recently most England fans would support Scotland or the ROI in the WC if England hadn't qualified. Admittedly that happens less now that A) we are beginning to better understand the celtic attitude towards us B) Scotland and the ROI aren't good enough to qualify anymore .

What's the problem?
Blair did the same 4 years ago.

I don't follow football. But I'm English and also a Scotophile. After reading this I'm thinking of buying the biggest George Cross flag I can find and erecting it in the front garden.

Up yours whiners. 🙂

However, I really can't see what the problem is with flying the George Cross in London.

I couldn't give a toss about that either, it's the fact that he thinks that the UK should be united and support england.

it's the fact that he thinks that the UK should be united

What did you think the U stood for ?

trailmonkey – Member

it's the fact that he thinks that the UK should be united

What did you think the U stood for ?

For a British team not and enlgish team. 🙄

But we don't compete as GB or UK in football. If you are prepared to support GB or UK then you shouldn't have an issue supporting its constituent parts.

I think the as-yet unspoken truth is that for many scotch (above included) they actually prefer to support 'not england' than scotland.
the reason why is sadly obvious.

Don simon, for the love of god give it up.

Im Scottish but im supporting England in the world cup as we didnt get through.

I take offence that you make such stupid arrogant and racist remarks/insinuations which ends up getting all Scots bundled up in the same group and thought of as childish & frankly stupid.

Go away, come back when you reach the age of 10.

Flipside of that is Buzzlightyear – imho you are in the same childish world as Don simon. Grow up.

scotia – Member
Don simon, for the love of god give it up.

Im Scottish but im supporting England in the world cup as we didnt get through.

I take offence that you make such stupid arrogant and racist remarks/insinuations which ends up getting all Scots bundled up in the same group and thought of as childish & frankly stupid.

Go away, come back when you reach the age of 10.

Flipside of that is Buzzlightyear – imho you are in the same childish world as Don simon. Grow up.

*Applauds*

Well put, sir, well put.

missingfrontallobe, he is a bit of a chav. After all, he went to a Slough Comprehensive. 😉

"Flipside of that is Buzzlightyear – imho you are in the same childish world as Don simon. Grow up."

😆 Sense of humour failure detected. I'm amazed at how thin-skinned *some* people can be about a bleedin' flag. I'm English, I'll fly George Cross if I want and not feel guilty about it. It's about time we reclaimed our national identity.

AFAIK, you don't need planning permission for a flagpole if it is flying a Union Flag. But I don't think the George Cross is exempt. Suspect Cameron gets away with it because No10 is a government building.

[comprehensive kid and indifferent about it]

Buzzlightyear – sorry couldnt tell that was comedy. Fly your flag thats what im saying. I am fully in support but it came across as if you were anti scottish in the same way don simon is anti english..

ho hum…so we're just to get don simon to grow up then now!

My bad for the misunderstanding – I'm very keen on most things Scottish, exp. the Munros, the music and the whisky!

I'm fervently supporting anyone who's playing France…even England if it comes about.

Yeah so am I, hoping I'll only get to support 4 games of that…

Standard supporting order will prevail.

Scotland until they're knocked out (ah well, we did OK considering our qualifying group).
Then Ireland til they go (normally second round, but his year…).
Then Brazil, 'cos they're blinking nice people (having met them at our defeat to them in 1990), 'cos whenever we turn up they seem to be in the same group as us (and knock us out), and 'cos you might as well support someone with some chance of winning somewhere along the line.

Soft spot for Italy too 'cos I went to uni there for a bit and for France 'cos , well 'cos of the auld alliance.

And I wouldn't be upset if England won (though my wife would and she's English).

I'm toying with offering to wear an England shirt in the office for the England matches if they chuck enough in the charity kitty.

Anyway I'm going cycling for the first week, so it may well be over bar the shouting by the time I get back to work.

find the scottish "I wont cheer for England" attitude a bit childish, I'd cheer for Scotland if they got in and England didn't,

Easy for you to say when it's a hypothetical!

I think the general unpopularity internationally of England and the english football team, stems from the fact that England are very bad winners!

Hard to put into words but……. while most teams are happy to have won the game and have some empathy with the losers, when England win it seems to be more about beating the opposition and demonstrating that they are indeed superior. That probably doesn't make a lot of sense to some but non-english might know what I mean.

trailmonkey – Member

But we don't compete as GB or UK in football. If you are prepared to support GB or UK then you shouldn't have an issue supporting its constituent parts.

Please do not tell me what I should or shouldn't do! Understand this, when the GB team competes it is made up of the constituent parts, when england play it is not, so why should I.

scotia – Member

Don simon, for the love of god give it up.

Im Scottish but im supporting England in the world cup as we didnt get through.

I take offence that you make such stupid arrogant and racist remarks/insinuations which ends up getting all Scots bundled up in the same group and thought of as childish & frankly stupid.

Go away, come back when you reach the age of 10.

Flipside of that is Buzzlightyear – imho you are in the same childish world as Don simon. Grow up.

Thanks. That was was very well put. Insulting people will always win you friends and help you win an argument. If you want to drop your trousers for the english, that's entirely up to you. And I would say that you are a bit like others here and just a "plastic Scotsman" same as some of the "plastic Welsh", you know not 100% Scot or Welsh. 😉

Wow, do people really hate each other this much based on Nationality and what their father's fathers did?

Crikey.

Thanks. That was was very well put. Insulting people will always win you friends and help you win an argument. If you want to drop your trousers for the english, that's entirely up to you. And I would say that you are a bit like others here and just a "plastic Scotsman" same as some of the "plastic Welsh", you know not 100% Scot or Welsh.

Do you know me? No, ok then so you cant really say that then can you?

It seems that i am just able to see beyond what you cant.

Please dont fill up the forum with your little spats – the toys are over there to the left where you threw them.

tree-magnet – Member

Wow, do people really hate each other this much based on Nationality and what their father's fathers did?

Crikey.

It would seem so, anyone who has a differing opinion and especially one which tries to defend the right to maintain ones nationality is shot down. I find it sad that I can't express the opinion that I disagree with Cameron's stance that as a representative of the British Government he can show a bias towards the english team and expect that I should support them.

I find it sad that people can not accept different opinions and accept that shouting and insulting is a fair argument.

I find it sad that there is hypocracy in the arguments, that people who don't know me feel they can insult me, then, when the insult is returned want to use the defense that I don't know them. 😯

I find it quite sad that people will quote me without using the full quote which includes the smiley face. 😉

I really don't give a toss about england and the world cup. I wish them all the best, but I will not betray my nationality by jumping on any bandwagon, nor will I relish in their failure.

This has been quite good fun and not a spat!!! 😆

My only problem with him flying the flag is that it's nothing more than a populist gesture, and it makes our PM look a bit chavish. I'm sure he wouldn't do it if he wasn't in the public eye. I suspect he probably couldn't care less about football anyway.

As for supporting England, as I Scot I personally hope they do well. Same as I would if it were Wales or either of the Irish sides competing (would be better if Ireland would combine though, as their rugby team does).

What finally swung me behind England was the attitude of some folk up here to Mars selling Mars Bars with England wrappings. There were folk up here, including some idiots from the SNP, who described Mars as having (I kid you not) "offended them". Offended??? By a sweetie wrapper. For crying out loud. Some of my fellow countrymen really need to grow up and get over it. Good luck England.

selling Mars Bars with England wrappings

This is pretty much the definition of oppression. When the proud people of Scotland are ground under the English jackboot in this humiliating fashion, is it really any wonder that the SNP condones suicide bombings?

I think the general unpopularity internationally of England and the english football team, stems from the fact that England are very bad winners!

I've been to many countries (mainly the americas and africa) in my time and the one thing that the locals all want to talk about when they find out you are english is the england football team. They want to know if you ever saw Charlton, Moore, Hurst, Lineker, Gascoigne play.
The England football team is one of the most popular throughout the world in my experience, it's only the fear of an minority of it's supporters that detracts from that.

kennyp – Member
…There were folk up here, including some idiots from the SNP, who described Mars as having (I kid you not) "offended them"…

Oddly enough, when I saw the England flag on it, I put it down and bought something else instead 🙂 Wasn't offended though, just thought it was dumb marketing.

I'm fervently supporting anyone who's playing France…even England if it comes about.

As are my French mates. When I mentioned the faint possibility of us meeting in the 1/4 finals, they told me under no uncertain terms that France wouldnt be there that long. Most of them still havent got over the Ireland match.

A few of them are even supporting England for the duration 😯

I'm no fan of Cameron or patriotism but I really don't see the problem with this.

This is pretty much the definition of oppression. When the proud people of Scotland are ground under the English jackboot in this humiliating fashion, is it really any wonder that the SNP condones suicide bombings?

I feel oppressed by Skittles. I want to taste a rainbow but they lie with their marketing guff. Don't even get me started on Lucky Charms.

The England football team is one of the most popular throughout the world in my experience,

Not in my experience, which admittedly has been confined to Europe and N. America. English football and individual players yes, but as a team and including the 'fans', definitely no.

Jocks are universally adored. Everyone loves a good loser 😆

Oddly enough, when I saw the England flag on it, I put it down and bought something else instead Wasn't offended though, just thought it was dumb marketing.

Exactly. If folk want to, or don't want to, buy them then that's fair enough. It's the childish "I find it offensive" rubbish that hacks me off. Seems to be these days that a lot of people are desperate to be offended about something, no matter how silly.